This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This material reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein

Case Studies

Case Studies

The project has been carried out in an intensive way by a European network of vocational and language teachers. A wide language program is available online. The project concentrates on language skills that are needed in certain professions and promotion o

Initial and vocational training was lacking basic, work-based language learning materials still in the beginning of the 21st century. Also the variety of languages on offer for vocational students was very limited. Language learning was not related to the vocational situations. New, language learning material related to work situations was needed. The Ready Study Go-project responded to this need.
The materials were especially targeted for those students who would go for an on the job period abroad; learning about the target culture, working culture and languare was seen as a special support for motivation and orientation. Also students who were not able to go abroad got an opportunity to study new languages and to learn about new cultures in their home country.

Objectives

The objective of the project was to develop new online language and cuture learning material for the initial and vocational training. The sectors of hotel, tourism, restaraurant and catering and bakery were targeted. The language learning materials were developed for the following languages: Finnish, Estonian, French, German and Italian. English was used as a support language for instructions, translations and for providing deeper cultural and linguistic infomation. The levels were mainly A.1. and A.2.

Approach

The main method used in the project was content and language integrated learning (CLIL) which provided opportunities of cooperation between vocational and language teachers. The materials were related to every day working tasks and the level was basic. Dialogues and authentic photos as well as conrete exercises related to the themes were the key materials used in the learning packages. The materials were especially targeted for those students who would go for an on the job period abroad; learning about the target culture, working culture and languare was seen as a special support for motivation and orientation. Also students who were not able to go abroad got an opportunity to study new languages and to learn about new cultures in their home country.

Results

The objective of the project was to develop new online language and cuture learning material for the initial and vocational training. The sectors of hotel, tourism, restaraurant and catering and bakery were targeted. The language learning materials were developed for the following languages: Finnish, Estonian, French, German and Italian. English was used as a support language for instructions, translations and for providing deeper cultural and linguistic infomation.
As a result the above mentioned language packages were created. Also the cooperation between vocational and language teachers was a relative new method in many of the partner institutions. The project gave resources and support for this. The development work on the materials was kept on a very concrete level.
Ready Study Go! – project received the Language Label in 2008. There was a continuing project Ready Study Go Ahead! that took place in 2009-2011. The second project disseminated the experiences of the first one and in it new languages (Spanish, Turkish and Swedish) and a new vocational field (vehicle) were targeted.

Why the European Language Label?

Online materials offer more opportunities for language learning and for the choice of languages. Authentic, work-related situations give a new way for learnign languages and for learning about other cultures, included the working cultures in the target country. The CLIL method helped to combine language learning to vocational situations, the language was kept simple enough and the level easy enough. The project was a learning process for the teachers who involved in the project work.

Activities following the award of the European Language Label

Ready Study Go! – project received the Language Label in 2008. There was a new project Ready Study Go Ahead! that took place in 2009-2011. The second project disseminated the experiences of the first one and in it new languages (Spanish, Turkish and Swedish) and a new vocational field (vehicle) were targeted.

Assessment of the Impact of the European Language Label

The European Language Label was a recognition for the work and for the approach that the project had.

Recommendations for future applicants for the ELL

Careful planning of the project having a team of experts (teachers, guidance counsellors etc of the related subjects) involvedin the work from the planning phase on. Enough resources for the project work itself. Dissemination and implementation plan to be created at the very beginning of the project: how to integrate the project results into training organisation's everyday activities? How can the the project be useful for other organisations, how to let them know about the results an outcomes?

THE NELLIP NETWORK’S PERSPECTIVE

Consistency with European Policies in the field of Language Learning

The Project has used the methods of content and language learning (CLIL method) in planning the approach and in developing the learning materials. The main idea of the project work was to create basic and authentic learning materials that are short and clear enough for different types of learners. Key words and expressions have been selected to be included in the material and authentic photos and recordings have been used to support learning. Intercultural information is provided in English and is additiona reading msterial. All material is onlineand available for all. This makes language and culture learnig easy to access befofe, during and after the on-the-job learning periods abroad - but it also gives flexible learning opportunities for those who are not able to go abroad. The online materials also offer possibilities for learning those languages that cannot be taught via classroom teaching in groups.

Consistency with European, National and yearly priorities

CLIL method.
Variety of languages on offer.

THE NATIONAL AGENCY’S PERSPECTIVE

Motivations

The variety of languages that can be studied in vocational training has been increased as a result of the project. Innovative approaches for language learning and for languages on offer. The projcet has been carried out in innovative and diverse ways, the dissemination has been succesful and effective and the project products are well integrated in the teaching programmes. The intercultural dialogue is intensified by the European partnership. It encourages to learn about foreign cultures and to export own cultural knowledge to other countries. The project also promotes learning of foreign languages.

An audio- video presentation of the NELLIP project has been created and made available in the Information section of the NELLIP portal. To access the presentation please click here: http://nellip.pixel-online.org/IF_intro.php.